Column preview: Tonko prevails in Independence line dispute

Congressman Paul Tonko’s bid for the Independence Party line has survived a legal fight by Republican challenger Bob Dieterich.

Tonko, an Amsterdam Democrat running for re-election this fall in what’s now the 20th Congressional District, has the backing of the state Independence Party, but Dieterich’s campaign moved to block the two-term congressman from securing the third party’s ballot line this fall by alleging Tonko’s surrogates improperly collected the 871 signatures needed to land him there.

The seeds of part this dispute first surfaced in Insider back in April, when we reported that Albany Councilman Anton Konev led the charge to block appointment of Tonko campaign volunteers as commissioners of deeds, which would have allowed them to collect Independence Party signatures even though they were not themselves members of the party.

Konev objected to their appointments, he said, because their home and work addresses were improperly listed on the applications — something the Tonko campaign attributed to an oversight prompted by this year’s accelerated primary schedule.

That some of the commissioners of deeds were appointed improperly and acted outside their jurisdiction was part of Dieterich campaign attorney James Walsh’s argument.

Walsh also argued that Tonko’s surrogates improperly administered required oaths of the voters signing the petitions.

But state Supreme Court Justice Barry Kramer — a fellow Democrat, for what it’s worth — last week ruled in favor of Tonko and his attorney, Kathleen O’Keefe, finding no evidence of fraud and, in fact, restoring six of the 49 signatures that had previously been invalidated by the state Board of Election.

Tonko’s staffers say they are confident more of the signatures could have been restored but said the point became moot once it was clear he would have well above the number he needed to remain on the ballot line, which Dieterich had also sought.

And in a heartwarming coda to this tale of truly inside politics, we’re sure readers will be happy to learn that at least some of the hard feelings that welled up between Konev and Tonko’s camp over the commissioners of deeds contretemps have apparently softened.

Konev, a Democrat who insisted from the beginning that his objections were procedural and not personal, publicly and effusively thanked Tonko on Facebook last month for assisting with his wife’s immigration case.

Konev even specifically thanked Sean Shortell, Tonko’s district director chief of staff, whom he accused of threatening him after blocking the appointments. (Tonko’s camp denied any threats were made.)

“Seriously good constituent services — prompt and complete!” Konev wrote. “Sean Shortell, thank you for all you do for the Congressman, although we don’t always agree on substance or style!”

It was not immediately clear whether Dieterich, a First National Bank of Scotia senior vice president from Glenville, would appeal. The new 20th Congressional District covers all or parts of Fulton, Schenectady, Saratoga, Albany and Rensselaer counties.

Wow, something stinks to high heaven with this one. Why was the trial moved from Saratoga to Schenectady?? The backroom dealings is the real story here. Unfortunately this is typical of so many politicians who think they are above the law.

From JCE:According to Tonko’s attorney, Kathleen O’Keefe, the case was heard in Schenectady because Tonko filed there first (to restore his signatures) before Dieterich filed an essentially identical proceeding (to contest them) in Saratoga County. Because Tonko’s case was first (only by a number of hours), the two were consolidated and heard in Schenectady, O’Keefe said.

1. How Paul Tonko, as a member of the MINORITY party in the House of Representatives, was able to “…create more obstruction and socialist programs AT TAXPAYERS EXPENSE”. I only inquire because this defies the rules of simple arithmetic in a legislative body.

2.How this situation represents a “crooked win”. The case was tried by a judge who’s pretty universally respected in the venue where the complaint was first filed. Doesn’t seem to be much “crooked” about that.

Maybe the opposing candidate should stop using bank tellers as sock puppets. It might improove the quality of the threads between now and November, although it certainly won’t change the outcome.

And the independence party continues to be a joke. They won this one but after Tonko got caught by a fellow KoolAid drinker, Konev the Barbarian. Much props to Anton, democrats simply dont keep fellow dems in check.

Can this party just disappear? Aside from stealing lawnsigns, what are they good for?

There is plenty to go after Tonko like voting for Obamacare without reading the damn bill first. Correction, its not Obamacare, I be damned if I am going to just blame the president for a bill that a bunch of dems and some reps supported.

The voters had an opportunity to evaluate Paul Tonko’s record as a member of the 111th Congress (during which time there was a Democratic majority) when they went to the polls in 2010 to overwhelmingly re-elect him to his seat.

This year, Paul Tonko will stand for re-election based on his performance as a member of the 112th Congress, a body in which the House was “ruled” by the ineffectual Republican Speaker Boehner and “really ruled” by a bunch of chaos-loving tea partiers eager to show off their ability to halt the civil exchange of rational thoughts in an effort to disrupt the orderly flow of government.

You mean to tell me that a politician for almost 40 years doesn’t know how to do things properly? Tonko may be a nice guy but he is either not too bright or downright dishonest. New blood needed. Dieterich gets my vote.

Hey Bob, you may want to reconsider the right-wing wonks you have working for you… If these blog sock puppets are the best that Dick Morris and the boy wonder can come up with, you are spending too much.

Taxin Tonko is another is the grand tradition of totally ineffective Democratic hacks. He will be remembered for his double dipping, lack of Town Halls and his useless Bridge To Nowhere in Amsterdam. Wonder if Taxin Tonko still grades President Obama an A? He is re-elected only because of the Stockholm Syndrome victims on the Albany rolls.

Snooki, dont forget the Albany Grand Ole Punters, who will sink this race for Tonko so they can get a couple of jobs with the local machine democrats.

But I am a crazy X-Files fan, right?

JCE, is there a republican running for state senate in Breslin’s district, which has the highest number of reps and include the town of Colonie? Colonie Grand Ole Pavers, what say you? Any reps running for DA?